Unbeknownst to Su Chen, he attributed the young soldier's nervousness to being outside the confines of the larger army, navigating through the chaotic city. He casually inquired, diverting his gaze outside the car.
Emerging from the darkness, a long and slender figure materialized—a ghostly apparition. Su Chen swiftly took aim and shot, landing a precise headshot. Absorbing the energy, they resumed their journey without delay.
As they traveled from Beicheng District to Xicheng District, the proximity brought a reduction in the number of monsters, and the echoes of howls and gunfire gradually faded into the night.
The military successfully thwarted the sacrificial ceremony in Xicheng District, albeit at a heavy cost to both the monsters and the army. The area now exuded a relative calm.
Arriving at Jingyuan Community, Su Chen found himself a step too late. This newly developed community, located on the outskirts of the city, lay shrouded in darkness, resembling a desolate tomb. A dark monster's lifeless corpse hung askew from the rooftop of a building, the sole evidence of its presence.
Su Chen stumbled upon his first close encounter with this entity. The obsidian behemoth's size was slightly smaller than the thirteen-meter colossal giant that had appeared previously. Its pitch-black skin lacked scales, but was adorned with massive bat wings, robust hind limbs, and four forelimbs with three razor-sharp claws. Its head resembled that of an eagle, albeit vastly larger, with a mouth brimming with barb-like fangs. Its eyes, pure black, almost merged seamlessly with its skin.
The creature's neck had been gruesomely torn open by an immense show of force, causing half of its head to hang limply, an eternal testament to its demise.
This particular kill was undoubtedly the work of Lin Mo. At this stage, no one else possessed the sheer ferocity and brutality required to dispatch such a monster.
Furthermore, there was only a solitary energy unit present on the creature, indicating it had perished some time ago.
Su Chen surveyed his surroundings, a sense of bewilderment washing over him. Apart from the buildings displaying signs of air combat damage, there were no other traces. Su Wenhao's side had yet to provide any follow-up information.
However, Su Chen soon spotted an individual in the garden below.
The man sat on a bench, wearing a vacant expression as he stared back at Su Chen, his eyes devoid of clarity.
Contemplating briefly, Su Chen activated his suit and descended gracefully from the sky, landing before the man. He bombarded him with a series of questions, "Were you here just now? Did you witness what transpired? Did they attack you?"
The man stared blankly at Su Chen for a moment before erupting into a frenzy, pointing at him and exclaiming, "Future soldiers!"
The man, in his fifties, exhibited an overwhelming frenzy, his excitement bordering on lunacy. He stumbled backward into the encompassing darkness, his voice echoing through the night, "Mom, mom, come quickly! It's the future war police! They've come to our village! Andy Lau..."
Su Chen's instincts stirred within him, prompting him to descend from the sky. The man, initially taken aback, quickly approached with unbridled enthusiasm. Su Chen persistently queried him about any recent developments, meticulously recounting his recollection of Lin Mo's appearance. Desperate to offer some semblance of aid, Su Chen was caught off guard when the man's ramblings suddenly shifted.
Gripping his head in a state of terror, he hobbled back, his words tumbling out, "Don't devour me! Spare me! Instead, go vanquish that paper-cut man! What do you say? He'll vanish once you've defeated him, right? Don't eat me... devour those monsters instead... you'll see... by consuming them, you can become human!"
Taken aback, Su Chen swiftly interjected, "Have you seen the person I described? How is he? Where did he go? What's his current state? And what if he consumes them and transforms into a human?"
His inquiries only served to exacerbate the man's distress, causing him to panic and dart around erratically. Then, in a moment of derangement, he pointed at Su Chen and muttered, "Future war police, my dear daughter... let's go together to witness the future war police... it'll be good..."
Witnessing this disheartening scene, Su Chen sighed and cast a penetrating gaze at the man. "Do you yearn to be liberated?"
The man stared blankly, his lips barely forming the word "relief," before unleashing a blood-curdling scream, imploring not to be killed, and vanishing into the depths of the darkness.
Unperturbed by his actions, Su Chen took flight once more, transforming back into his off-road vehicle. Glancing at the communication device, he inquired of Wang Li, "Any news from Su Wenhao?"
Wang Li shook his head, offering a concise response, "None. The army and survivors in this direction are in constant motion, making it arduous to track and update their whereabouts."
As an individual of lower rank, Su Wenhao lacked the authority to mobilize fellow troops to aid him in monitoring Lin Mo's movements.
Su Chen could only shake his head in frustration. They relentlessly pursued the path where the battle was rumored to have spread, but their efforts yielded nothing. The traces of the conflict had vanished into thin air, leaving them with an unsettling silence.
A moment of heavy silence enveloped them before Wang Li cautiously inquired, "Mr. Su, what is our next course of action?"
In truth, Wang Li hesitated to pose this question. If Su Chen decided to venture beyond the city limits in search of a hiding place, it would severely hamper the effectiveness of his communication device. And knowing Mr. Su's meticulous nature, the likelihood of him leaving anything to chance was slim. The possibility of his departure was indeed high, making this question a risky endeavor. Mr. Su was a terrifying individual in every sense of the word.
"For now, I don't intend to leave the city, but we can't stay here either. The Beicheng District is engulfed in chaos. Let's head straight for the Xicheng District," Su Chen declared, spouting his own brand of nonsense. In his mind, it presented a prime opportunity to gather energy units. The intense battle in the Beicheng District would undoubtedly draw the attention of both monsters and Lin Mo, leaving the Xicheng District shrouded in silence—a perfect opportunity for Su Chen to poach the remaining monsters in that region.
Furthermore, there was a chance that Lin Mo was still lingering in the Xicheng District. Su Chen intended to bide his time.
Wang Li inwardly breathed a sigh of relief but maintained a stern expression on his face. Without delay, he started the vehicle and pressed forward.
Compared to the bustling and frenzied Beicheng District, the Xicheng District appeared desolate, with sporadic monsters roaming the streets engrossed in their own battles.
This was precisely what Su Chen had hoped for. The monsters themselves lacked advanced communication devices. Lin Mo, controlling the monsters through means unknown to Su Chen, had a limited range of influence. The situation at the Cloud City store had provided a glimpse of how the monsters moved in groups under the beloved's command, transmitting information swiftly. A direct encounter with these organized groups would undoubtedly expose Su Chen's position. On the other hand, engaging with the scattered and solitary monsters posed fewer risks and moved at a slower pace.
After covering a significant distance, Su Chen selected a residential building near the city's outskirts as a temporary haven.
Although there was inherent risk in remaining within the city, Su Chen had acquired knowledge on the matter during their journey with the motorcade. He had even consulted Wang Li along the way. The monster density outside Yuanliao City was relatively low. Leaving the city now would significantly hamper his efficiency in monster hunting. Thus, he planned to test the waters on the city's outskirts, postponing his departure until he received news of Lin Mo.
While the monsters boasted a massive stronghold, their methods of communication remained primitive. Su Chen's objective was to eliminate the uncontrolled "stretch soldiers" monsters, as exterminating even a single encounter would greatly reduce the risk of exposure. Even if discovered, the monsters were currently concentrated in the Beicheng District, and it would take time for the "mobilization" to reach their location.
Whoever said there were no risks in life? Su Chen had long grown accustomed to such perils. He was now on the path to the second level, seeking to strengthen his body and obtain ten additional units to test the "perception" abilities of magically modified items. To achieve these goals, he required a substantial number of energy units. Remaining within the city presented the swiftest solution to this predicament.
Su Chen couldn't afford to waste any more time. The city was teeming with monsters, and the Xicheng District remained abandoned, drawing little attention from the beloved. It was the perfect opportunity he had been waiting for, a chance to accumulate energy with minimal risk. He had intelligence support from Su Wenhao, giving him an edge in this chaotic world.
Carefully selecting a secluded location in the far reaches of the Xicheng District, Su Chen ensured he was out of the way. Despite the presence of monsters, most people were flocking to the Beicheng District, leaving Xicheng relatively quiet. Ordinary survivors lacked Su Chen's ability to swiftly navigate and eliminate scattered monsters. They didn't have the advantage of Su Wenhao's information support or Su Chen's proficiency in dispatching individual threats. The military, burdened with survivors and supplies, couldn't afford to change their breakthrough strategy now.
After finding a suitable place for Qiao Zheng and Wang Li to settle temporarily, Su Chen vanished into the darkness. Qiao watched, envious of Su Chen's disappearing figure, before turning to Wang Li with surprise etched on his face. "Comrade, is the communication device so valuable? Is that why he protects it so carefully?"
Meanwhile, Su Chen had already infiltrated the nearest communication equipment store, targeting the power bank supply. Since multiple stores were available near his chosen location, they were less crowded, making it the ideal choice. Swiftly gathering what he needed, Su Chen managed to acquire over 20 power banks, along with several new pre-apocalyptic 5G mobile phones and phone watches.
The power banks would serve as his "granary," storing energy units for later use. As for the mobile phones, they were not of great importance to Su Chen. He planned to use them as test subjects for his magical modifications, requiring ten to twenty energy units each. It was the perfect opportunity to experiment and refine his techniques.
While on his way back, Su Chen noticed a discarded dry powder fire extinguisher on the roadside. A thought struck him, and he decided to give it a try. He picked up a fist-sized stone, infused it with his energy, and magically transformed it. Within minutes, the stone turned black, indicating a successful magical modification.
Curiosity piqued, Su Chen ran to a dilapidated flower bed nearby and threw the stone as far as he could. It exploded upon impact, albeit with limited force. The blast only managed to damage half of the flower bed, and the sound was no louder than distant gunfire. However, the resulting smoke dispersed quickly, causing mild irritation.
Although the explosion lacked power, Su Chen considered it a useful "stone thunderstorm in the sky." It resembled a handheld smoke bomb version of a micro missile launch matrix. Satisfied with his discovery, Su Chen began collecting different stones from the garden, wondering if the material would affect the magical modification's effectiveness.
Back in the building, Wang Li stood guard by the window, silently observing Su Chen gathering rocks in the garden. After a while, he averted his gaze, as if he had stumbled upon something he shouldn't have seen.